Electrical swivel connector



Feb. 25, 1969 F. F. BROWN 3,430,180

ELECTRICAL SWIVEL CONNECTR Filed May 18, 1967 Sheet 0f 2 *W3 6 7 V Il] cm2. L

\ I' U ff A 5 w wel P 'i550 jf ZY I JA Y "r T-WU INVIIYZ'OJ? Tra .F 5201011:

F. F. BROWN Feb. 25, 1969 ELECTR CAL SW1 VEL CONNECTOR Filed May l5, 1967 Z'ZC,.4.

Hilf/V701?. FrowKF. Brown:

ATTORNEY United States Patent Otiice 3,430,180 Patented Feb. 25, 1969 3,430,180 ELECTRICAL SWIVEL CONNECTOR Frank F. Brown, Bellflower, Calif. (Rte. 1, Box 350, Lake Port, Calif. 95453) Filed May 18, 1967, Ser. No. 639,457 U.S. Cl. 339-8 5 Claims Int. Cl. H01r 35/00 ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The device is an improvement in swiveled electrical connectors for detachably attaching a pair of conductors to an electrical wall terminal to permit rotation of the pair of conductors relative to the terminal; the invention residing in the swivel connection between a pair of connector elements and in the mode of directing electric current through such connection by means of a pair of wiper contacts electrically connected to the contacts of one of said elements and cylindrical contact associated with said wipers connected to the contacts of the other element.

Field of the invention United States patents on devices of the type to which the invention herein pertains of which there are many showing the basic concept of the invention are found in class 339, sub-class 8; such devices generally embodying a pair of pivotally connected elements having a pair of electrical conductors leading from the opposite ends thereof, one of which pair of elements being adapted to be connected to a source of electric current supply and the other pair being connected to an electrically actuated element; the invention in each patent usually having to do with the manner in which the two pairs of coductors are electrically connected together through the connection joining the pivotally connected elements, as is the case in this application.

Description of the prior art Expired patent to Twining No. 1,070,307, issued Aug. 12, 1913 shows the pair of swivelly interconnected members 1-2 as formed of electrically conductive material and disposed in electrical Contact with each other, and extending axially of each of said members and insulated therefrom are electrically conductive rods the inner ends of Iwhich slidably abut a pair of electrical wires 12a-12a are connected respectively to the rod and member 1 of the assembly, while a pair of such wires 14a-14a are connected respectively to the rod and member 2 of the assembly.

The assembly is designed to be encased in an insulated housing or shell, not shown, to avoid short circuiting.

The more recent patent to Phillips No. 3,123,421, issued Mar. 3, 1964, discloses a rotatable electrical connection embodying a pair of non-conductive connector members 12 and 46 telescoped relative to each other with a pair of electrically conductive ball-bearings 26-28 interposed therebetween, one of which is electrically connected to a pair of contact prongs 70 and 72 on the member 46 and the other of which is electrically connected to a pair of electrically conductive wires in a cord 86 connected to the member 12. 'Ihe above type of electrical swivel connector is shown in expired patent to Pearson 1,955,652, issued Apr. 17, 1964, wherein the pair of electrically conductive ball-bearings afford a rotatable connection between a pair of electrically conductive wires 18-26 and a second pair of such wires 37-40.

A type of swiveling electrical connector embodying a slip contact means is shown in Patents 2,898,572 and 2,542,935, in each of which electrically conductive spring tongues carried on one of the swiveled members rides in contact with an annular contact member carried by the other member.

In each of the above patents one of the electrical contacts is connected to prongs on one of the members while the contact is connected to a pair of electrical conductors leading from the other member.

The main problem apparently involved in the above examples and inherent in any device of the character set forth, are efficiency, durability, simplicity and economical production, with the main object of producing a siveled electrical connection which will prevent twisting and entanglement of the wires of an electrically conductive cord leading between a source of electric current supply and an electrically operated mechanism.

Summary The invention on which this application is predicated is designed to meet the problems above set forth by the employment of a novel assemblage of few simple parts embodying a pair of wiper contacts slidably engaging a pair of revoluble cylindrical contacts, with the pair of wiper contacts carried on one of a pair of relatively revoluble connector elements and the pair of cylindrical contacts carried on the other of said connector elements; the invention primarily residing in a construction whereby a pair of connector elements are pivotally inter-connected and the manner in which the above recited pairs of electrical contacts are associated therewith.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction in a swiveled electrical connection whereby a pair of conventional male and female connector elements may be pivotally interconnected with the male element adapted to be engaged with a source of electrical current and the female element adapted to be connected to conductors leading to an electrically operated mechanism, whereby the conductors may be rotated without entanglement.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is an enlarged view in side elevation of the assembled swivel connector,

FIG. 2 is a view in horizontal section partly in plan as seen approximately on the line 2F-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a View in section and elevation as seen approximtaely on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an end view as seen in the direction of the arrow 4 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a view in elevation as seen in the direction of the arrow 5 in FIG. 2,

FIG. 6 is a view in cross section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 7 is a view in cross section taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 8 is a view in cross section as seen on the line 8 8 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 9 is a view in side elevation depicting the connector as employed in conjunction with a supplemental hinged connector applied to a conventional wall terminal,

FIG. 10 is a detail plan view as seen on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

Referring to the drawings more specically A and B indicate generally a pair of male and female electrically non-conductive hollow cylindrical elements pivotally united axially by means of an elongate non-conductive tube C containing a pair of insulated electrical conductors D-E leading from a conventional pair of electrically conductive prongs F-G projecting from the outer end of the male element A.

The outer terminals of the conductors D-E are connected to the conventional binding screws H-I applied to the base portions of the prongs F-G so as to rigidly attach the outer end of the tube C to the element A through the prongs F-G.

The inner end portions of the conductors D-E lead outwardly opposite each other through apertures in opposed portions of the wall of the tube C and connect with spaced apart electrically conductive rings J-K encompassing tbe tube C. An electrically insulating sleeve L is interposed between the tube C and the rings J-K.

The inner end of the tube C is pivotally connected to the element B by a headed screw M which is passed axially through the outer end wall N of the element B and is threaded in engagement with the inner end of the tube C, the screw being engaged and held against removal by a pin O inserted through the wall of the tube as shown in FIG. 2. The head of the screw M is countersunk in the wall N and is covered by a protective plate P cemented in place on the wall N.

The end wall N is provided with a pair of elongate prong receiving apertures Q-Q arranged astride the screw M, which apertures lead interiorally of the element B and open opposite a pair of spring contacts R-R havin-g their inner end portions S leading through apertures in the side wall of the element B and connecting with electrical conductors T-T which lead to a pair of wiper contacts U-U bearing on the contact rings J-K. The conductors T-T are resilient and are tensioned as to impose the contacts U-U on the rings l-K under pressure.

The element B is encompassed by a cylindrical shell comprising opposed halves V-V' cemented together on opposite sides of the element B, the shell V-V' being seated on end flanges W-W in spaced relation to the conductors T--T. The element B is formed of two complementary semi-cylindrical members X--X cemented together along their margins on opposite sides of a cylindrical insulating liner Y encompassing the contact rings J-K in spaced relation thereto.

As a means for stabilizing the connection between the elements A-B, a concavo-convex disk Z is xedly mounted on the tube C with its margin seated on the inside of the inner end of the element A and also slidably abutting the contiguous end of the liner Y.

In the application and operation of the invention the prongs F-G of the element A are inserted into an electrical socket connected to a source of electrical supply and a pair of similar prongs on a conductor leading to an electrically operated mechanism such as hairclippers, sweepers, and the like is plugged into the apertures Q-Q of the element B. On closing a switch with which such mechanism is usually equipped electrical current will flow from the source of supply through the conductors of the coupling, namely prongs F-C, screws H-I, conductors D-E, contact rings J-K, wiper contacts U-U conducto-rs T T, and spring contacts RR, thence through the conductors leading from the element B to the electrically operated mechanism.

Since the elements A-B of the coupling are freely revoluble relative to each other, likelihood of entanglement of the electrical conductors leading from the element B is greatly reduced.

Where the coupling herein set forth is employed on wall sockets where the coupling because of its length projects outwardly from the wall and socket an objectionable distance, such condition is alleviated by the employment of the hinged connection shown in FIGS. 9 and l0. This connection comprises a conventional plug 11 and socket 12 members hingedly connected together in spaced relation to each other by a pair of links 13-13 mounted on opposite sides of the members as particularly shown in FIG. 10. As here shown the links are each pivotally connected by a pivot 13' to the plug 11 and are securely fastened to the socket 12 by a pair of screws 14. A pair of flexible conductors 15 connect the contact members of the plug and socket 11-12. The prongs F-G of the coupling element A are engaged with the socket 12 as indicated in FIG. 9.

On the plug 11 being applied to a wall socket, the socket 12 with the coupling elements A-B attached thereto may be disposed in a downwardly depending position as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 9 thus obviating the objectionable outward projection of the coupling.

I claim:

1. A swivel electrical connector comprising a pair of male and female electrically non-conductive hollow cylindrical elements arranged end to end in abutting axial alignment, a pair of electrically conductive prongs projecting from the outer end of said male element, a pair of binding screws on said prongs, an open ended non-conductive tube leading from adjacent said prongs substantially through said elements axially thereof, a pair of contact rings encompassing said tube in said female element in fixed insulated relation thereto, a pair of insulated electrical conductors leading from said binding screws along said tube interiorally thereof connected to said rings through apertures in said tube, said conductors binding said tube in fixed relation to said male element, a pivotal connection between the inner end of said tube and an outer end wall of the female element, whereon said element is turnable in axial relation to said tube, a pair of wiper contacts within said female element bearing on `said contact rings, the outer end wall of said female element having a pair of prong receiving apertures, a pair of spring contact members in said female element opposite said apertures, and electrical connections leading from said contact member to said wiper contacts.

2. The structure called for in claim 1 together with an insulated liner in said female element encompassing said rings in spaced relation thereto.

3. The structure called for in claim 1 together with an insulated liner in said female element encompassing said rings in spaced relation thereto, and a concavo-convex disk fixed on and encompassing said tube having its margin seated on said male element and slidab-ly bearing on an end of said liner.

4. The structure called for in claim 1 wherein said pivotal connection between the outer end of said tube and said end wall comprises a headed screw passed through said end wall and countersunk therein in turnable relation thereto having fixed engagement with said tube.

5. The structure called for in claim 1 wherein said female element has a pair of annular end flanges, with a circumferehtial channel therebetween,- and wherein said contact members extend through apertures into said channel and wherein said electrical connections lead from said contact members to said wiper contacts along said channel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,873,042 8/1932 Rohrdanz 339-8 2,582,800 l/ 1952 Sorenson 339-8 3,123,421 3/1964 Phillips 339-8 RICHARD E. MOOR'E, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 339-- 

